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Aqib Talib has strong debut for New England Patriots in win over Colts

New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib on the sidelines in the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. The Patriots won 59-24. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
(Photo by AP)

On his first target of the game, Andrew Luck managed to place ball over him on the left sideline that landed in LaVon Brazill’s arms for a 25-yard gain. The next time he showed up on television screens, he was getting beat by T.Y. Hilton for a touchdown.

There was nothing wrong with the coverage on either play, but it wasn’t exactly what fans wanted to see from the man dubbed the savior of New England’s porous secondary. But then he showed why he is worthy of such esteem.

In the second quarter, with the Colts still hanging in the game, Talib positioned himself under a poorly thrown Andrew Luck pass and took it back for a 59-yard touchdown return that gave New England a 21-14 lead. His performance drew rave reviews all around, and it should only get better.

“It’s going to take time,” Devin McCourty said. “He knows what he’s doing out there. He’s not a guy that we have to babysit each play and tell him what to do. It’s pretty simple: When a guy understands football, it’s just teaching him the different words we use.”

With safety Patrick Chung sidelined with a hamstring injury, Talib started at left cornerback, Kyle Arrington lined up on the right side, McCourty and Steve Gregory started at safety. Rookie Alfonzo Dennard, however, quickly replaced Arrington, after he was flagged for a 40-yard pass interference penalty on the opening drive.

The chemistry between McCourty and Talib showed almost instantly, and they came together for a nice pass break up during the second half.

Talib said after the game that he felt comfortable in the defense, but it will take some time for him to get back into game shape after sitting our four games for a performance-enhancing drug suspension.

“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I got to get in a little better game shape and get my eyes on the right spots and I’ll be all right.”

It wasn’t all positive, though. Along with the aforementioned touchdown reception, Hilton burned for Talib on a 43-yard touchdown later in the game. Talib says the mistakes on both plays were a result of his long layoff.

“I just didn’t play good technique. I kind of let him line me to get back inside,” Talib said. “Then on the other one, I had my eyes n the wrong spot. My eyes were exactly where they shouldn’t be – on the quarterback. I watched him throw a touchdown on me, so that’s what I did. I got to get a lot better.”

One thing Talib was happy about was the reception he received from fans during pregame introductions. When his name was announced, fans went into a roar and Talib said it got him more excited about the game than he already was.

In fact, he said he loves it in New England. When asked if he’d like to make it his home, he didn’t mince any words.